Continuous-form stationery adaptor for typewriters



March 22, 1960 JENSEN 2,929,431

CONTINUOUS-FORM STATIONERY ADAPTOR FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. l0, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 22, 1960 l.. JENSEN 2,929,481

CONTINUOUS-FORM STATIONERY ADAPTOR FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 1o, i955 2 sheets-sheet 2 f4 .A Z4) d F155 a hold it in place relative to the base.

CONTINUOUS-FORM STATIONERY ADAPTOR FOR TYPEWRI'IERS Louis Jensen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Uarco, Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,212

k4 Claims. (Cl. 197-133) This invention relates to an adaptor or forms carrier for enabling continuous-form stationery to be used in a conventional typewriting machine and more particularly continuous-form stationery to be used in a conventional typewriter.

. Another object of the invention is to provide an iin-f .25 mitting a very free movement of a shiftable carriage back'.

proved mounting for an adaptor or forms carrier perand forth with a typewriter platen.

A further object is to provide a shiftable carriage with i supporting structure permitting its movement laterally by and with a typewriter platen while presentinga minimum ofrresistance to such movement and requiring no change in the ordinary typewriter structure in order to make use of'theshiftable carriage. Y Y,

Other features, objects and advantages of theA present invention will be apparent from the following description ofapreferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Y g

Figure l is a fragmentary plan View of a forms carrier embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the forms carrier of Figure 1 taken substantially along line 2-.2- in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view looking toward the supporting structure for the shiftable carriage as shown in Figure'2; and Y Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the supporting structure,ppartially1in section., as takenV substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In general, an adaptor or forms carrier such as illustrated in the present invention is used for feeding continuous-form stationery interleaved with one-time carbon strips to the platen of an ordinary typewriter. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a platform or base 5 is equipped with a pair of crosstracks 6 (one of which is shown) carrying shiftable locking lugs 7 and 8 provided for the purpose of bearing against the sides of a typewriter to Adjustable stop screws 9 and 10 are mounted in an upright portion 11 at the rear of the platform or base for the purpose of positioning the typewriter relative to the base and to the upright portion 11. The zig-zag folded pack of continuousform stationery may be mounted upon a shiftable carriage generally indicated by numeral 12 so that it may be carried back and forth with the typewriter platen. In some instances, the shiftable carriage 12 may be equipped with blades holding carbon strips interleaved between stationery strips of the continuous-form type, which are then carried back and forth with the typewriter platen. By the use of the present invention, the continuous-form stationery is always carried to a correct position for feeding to the typewriter platen.

The structure of the adaptor or forms carrier includes United States ice Vto , 20 new and improved adaptor or forms carrier for enabling 2,929,481 Patented` "Mar,`

a relatively heavy upstanding standard 13 for the reception of an angled support 14 having a horizontally rearwardly extending portion 15 forming the base or support, upon which the shiftable carriage is mounted. In the present device, the base 14 may be adjustably positioned withinL the standard by use of a pair of tightening thumb screws 46 and 47. This base is quite rigid in construction so that the shiftable carriage will have a solid platform or f base upon which to move even though it is carrying a load of zig-zag folded stationery or the like.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, the shiftable car riage 12 is provided with roller bearing wheels or rollers.. adapted to track upon a pair of spaced tracks. One track 1 16 is in the form of a round rod supported `by a cross-1, beam-member 17 secured directly to the base 15. Theother track member 17a is in the form of a at elongatedmetal member having flanges 18 and 19 to lend rigidity thereto and also extending transversely of the base 15.- These tracks 16 and 17a are generally parallel to each other and to the direction of typewriter carriage travel.

In the past, adaptors have been provided with shiftable carriages for following the typewriter platen, but were not provided with a supporting structure permitting in@y effect a friction-free movement of the shiftable carriage. In the present invention, the support of the` shiftable? carriage is formed in such a manner that its movement back and forth with the typewriter platen is substantially friction-free. Contributing to this result is the form of" the front support of the carriage preventingskewing ori binding of the carriage on the tracks 16 and 17a. The front support comprises a pair of similar roller units 20:

. and 21 best seen in Figures 3 and 4. Each roller unitvz has a pair of downwardly extending standards 22 and 23" between which is mounted a ball bearing roller 24. An'y axle support 25 for the rollers is secured to the standards" by means of apair of screws 26 and 27. This ball bear# ing roller 24 carries the weight of the front of the shift-'il able carriage 12 upon the rod track member 16.l The' roller 24 remains in contact with the rod 16 regardless of? tipping action on the shiftable carriage by a pair of idle' rollers 28 and 29. These rollers are respectively secured to the lower ends of the standards 22 and 23 in such a manner that they contact the rod along the line below a' horizontal center line of the rod. At least one of the rollers 28 and 29 is provided with a hub 30 having an: opening therein larger than the shank 31= of the attaching screw. In this manner an adjustment may be made inv a position of the roller relative to the other rollers to allow some clearance between the rollers 28 and 29 on the rod 16.

The rear support of the shiftable car-riage is in the form of a single ball bearing roller 33 support on a downwardly extending standard 34 so that it may traverse track 17a.

The shiftable carriage. is made to follow the movements of the typewriter platen carriage by means of a crossrod 35 having a flattened portion 36 through which attaching screws 37 and 38 pass into the standards 23 of the front roller units for securing the crossrod to the shiftable carriage. An arm 39 is secured to one end of the crossrod as is a similar arm 4i? at the opposite end, the arms being equipped with a rubber bumper 41 and 42 respectively for engagement directly with a portion of the typewriter carriage. Friction collars 43 and 44 permit adjustment of the arms relative to the crossrod both longitudinally and circumferentially of the rod axis.

Since the crossrod for moving the shiftable carriage with the typewriter carriage is thus very close, in fact, secured to the fron-t support; the shiftable carriageV is always pulled in one direction or the other. Referring to Figure 1, should the shiftable carriage be moving to the right in the figure, the front guide roller 29a ofthe right hand unit would contact the rod and the rear guide roller 28b of the left hand roller unit would contact the rod. In this manner these two rollers on opposite corners oi-V an .imaginary rectangle formed by the four guide rollers prevent Ithe shiftablc carriage from skewing relative to .the'tracks 16 and 17a.V When the typewriter carriage is moving to the left as viewed in Figure 1, the opposite pair of guide rollers 28a and 29b contact the rod preventing skewing in the opposite direction. The adjustment of the guide rollers relative to each other mentioned above' permits a slight play of the roller units laterally of the rod track 16. Thus, binding upon the support is prevented while yet preventing any skewing. At the same time, the roller units as constructed provide a very free moving shiftable carriage with practically no friction lof a sufficient magnitude to require a change in the spring on the typewriter carriage in order to operate it. Thus, any ordinary typewriter may be placed on the platform and immediately used with -the adaptor or `forms carrier without further alterations.

The shiftable carriage of the present invention is shown as having upstanding side ngers 45 for the purpose of retaining stationery upon the carriage. The' form of these fingers or of the carriage structure above the supports may be changed as desired.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearance of understanding yand no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some moditications Vwill be obvious to those skilled in the art.

1. An attachment for adapting a typewriter to continuous-formvstationery, comprising: a frame adapted to be supported adjacent the rear of a typewriter; spaced front and rear track members on the` frame, said front track member being at the front of the frame for placement closely adjacent the carriage of the typewriter used with the attachment and including a rod; a continuous.`V`

form stationery carrier; an antifriction support on the carrier rollable along the rear `track member', a pair of.'

roller units on the carrier spaced longitudinally along the said front track member and engageable. with and rollable along the rod, each roller unit. including a load bearing roller resting on the rod anda pair of opposed anti-skewing rollers engageable with opposite sides of the rod, said spaced roller units having the only antiskewing rollers for said stationary carrier; and an arm connected to the carrier at a point adjacent to the said front track member and engageable with the carriage on atypewriter to move the form carrier with the carriage.

2. An attachment for adapting a typewriter to con-V tinuous-form stationery, comprising: a frame adapted to be supported immediately adjacent the rear of a typewriter; spaced front and rear carrier tracks on the frame, the front track being immediately adjacent the front of the frame for placement adjacent a typewriter carriage and comprising a rod; a continuous-form stationery carrier; support means movably mounting the carrier on the tracks for substantially free movement with the type- Writer carriage including an antifriction support on the carrier rollable along the rear track and a pair of laterallyspaced roller units on the front of the carrier rollable along said rod, each roller unit including a support roller resting on the rod and a pair of opposed anti-skewing rollers engageable with opposite sides of the rod to prevent binding of the carrier on the tracks, said roller units providing the only anti-skewing support for said carrier; and a relatively short arm projecting forwardly from the front of -the carrier adjacent said front track for engagement with the typewriter carriage to move the form carrier with the carriage.

3. An attachment for adapting a typewriter to continuousform stationery, comprising: a frame adapted to be supported adjacent the rear of a typewriter; front and rear tracks on the frame, said front trackbeing immediately adjacent the front of the frame and comprising a rod; a continuous-form stationery carrier; a roller on the carrier rollable along the rear tracks; a pair of Alaterally spaced roller units on the front of the carrier rollable along the rod, each roller unit comprising a front and rear standard secured on the carrier, a load bearing roller mounted between the standards and resting on the rod, and a pair of anti-skewing rollers, one on each standard, engageable with opposite sides of the rod, said anti-skewing rollers being adjustable relative to each other to prevent binding on the rod; and arm means on said front standards engageable with the typewriter carriage to move the carrier with the carriage.

4. An attachment as defined in claim 3, wherein said arm means comprises a rod having opposite Vend portions secured respectively to said front standards, and a pair of arms, one at each end of said last recited rod, extending forwardly for engagement with the typewriter carriage to move the carrier with the carriage.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 724,772. Alexander Apr. 7, 1903 1,991,908 Pringle Feb. 19, 1935 2,306,616 Y Copeland Dec. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 643,135 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1950 

